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Transit of Venus: June 6, 2012


On June 6, 2012 a really important and historic event takes place: The last transit of Venus that anyone living on this planet today can expect to watch. Due its rarity and its importance for science in history this transit will be one of the most important celestial events of the 21. century. In Europe the whole transit can be observed to the north of the Polar circle, for instance in Norway: Venus transits the midnight Sun!


Spectacular and historic Venus transit

Huge, national event for the public in Tromsø

 

JavaScript countdown watch for the transit of Venus on June 6, 2012
Time till the start of the transit of Venus:

The unique transit of Venus lasts for almost 7 hours.
Photo: NASA, photomontage: www.astroevents.no / Knut Jørgen Røed Ødegaard

Brief facts about the Sun   -   Brief facts about Venus   -   School activities

The transit in brief   -   Public events   -   Local conditions in Norway   -   How to observe

Since the transit takes place between 00:04 and 06:54 European time (MET) most of Europe will only get the last part of it. Portugal and most of Spain will miss it completely. In the USA the beginning of the transit will be visible. Most of South-America will miss all of it.

HISTORIC TRANSIT OF VENUS ON THE MIDNIGHT SUN

However, due to the midnight Sun the entire transit will be visible from Northern Norway (as well as Sweden, some areas in Finland and Spitsbergen). A number of public events, as well as live streaming and webcasts are planned for this historic occasion. If you want to experience something quite unique it could be a good idea to head for the far north! More information will be available here soon.

The last transit of Venus for more than 100 years! Click on the map for better resolution.
Illustration: Fred Espenak, NASA

Quicktime movie (27 MB) showing the transit as it will be seen from Tromsø in the early hours of June 6, 2012. Animation: Knut Jørgen Røed Ødegaard

Quicktime movie (5,9 MB) showing the transit observed from Tromsø in the early hours of June 6, 2012. Short version. Animation: Knut Jørgen Røed Ødegaard

MORE INFORMATION

TRANSIT OF VENUS JUNE 6, 2012: UNIQUE AND HISTORIC EVENT
Here you can find out more about this phenomenon and why it is so important. More information

LOCAL CONDITIONS IN NORWAY
Table with local times for the transit of Venus for many locations in Norway. Local conditions

VENUS TRANSITS THROUGH HISTORY
Since Venus transits do not occur very often – twice with eight years apart about every hundred years - not everybody get the opportunity to experience this unique phenomenon. The phenomenon also made researchers in the past to wonder and also to do the strangest things. One of them risked both life, health and marriage in order to witness our sister planets exclusive journey across the solar disk. Learn more

PHENOMENA EXPECTED DURING THE TRANSIT
Several unusual phenomena can be observed during the transit. They were witnessed and photographically documented on June 8, 2004. That transit was the first occasion in modern times that a planet with an atmosphere transited the Sun. During the previous five transits of Venus observed from 1639-1882 there were several reports of curious phenomena. More information

MODERN MEASUREMENTS OF THE DISTANCE TO VENUS
Today the distances to Venus and to the Sun are known with great accuracy. The breakthrough came in 1961. For the first time scientists were able to measure the distance in a direct way using radar signals emitted from the ground. Les mer.

THE TRANSIT MAY HELP US TO FIND EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE
On June 6, 2012 a transit of Venus occurs – a celestial phenomenon of exceptional rarity and importance. It gives us a unique opportunity to learn how life on distant exoplanets can be detected. We already have the technology necessary to find relatively advanced forms of life on this planets, the dress rehearsal comes on June 6, 2012. Les mer.

TRANSIT OF VENUS JUNE 8, 2004(in Norwegian)
Looking back to the first Venus transit in modern times, with pictures, webcast, amateur pictures, pictures from public events, animations and pictures from abroad. More information

MORE INFORMATION

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Extensive Norwegian DVD about space and eclipses.

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Web sites

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www.svalbard2015.no describes the spectacular total solar eclipse taking place on Svalbard and the North Pole on March 20, 2015.

 

 

Contact: Knut Jørgen Røed Ødegaard, P.O. Box 1029 Blindern, N-0315 Oslo, NorwayPhone: (+47) 992 77 172 E-mail: knutjo@astro.uio.no